In the next few hours a very special app called Todo K-2 Math Practice will be available in the App Store for FREE. The idea for Todo K-2 Math Practice app began as a dream from our creative lead and co-founder. Her dream was to design fun math games to engage struggling learners and help them to find the fun in math. Learning math comes easy for some, but not for all.

We researched and composed profiles of struggling math learners and children with learning differences. What happens if a player has short-term memory issues and has difficulty memorizing math facts? How do you teach a child with phenomenal memory but has difficulty understanding the meaning of symbols? How does a child with sequencing issues effortlessly solve addition problems over and over and over again? One child may have mastered writing numerals and another one hasn’t. These examples and more were some of the math learning challenges we considered during our player profile research. The fun in Todo K-2 Math practice happens when all children can effortlessly play regardless of learning differences. This is the dream and objective of Todo K-2 Math Practice.

Coinciding with app development, I noticed my 1st grader struggling with simple addition and subtraction. At the start of the school year I thought for sure she was going to excel at 1st grade addition and subtraction because of her enthusiastic interest in counting. Surely the jump from counting to adding wouldn’t be that difficult. However, by early spring, it was clear she needed help and I wasn’t entirely sure why. Her speech therapist gave me a clue, informing me that sequencing is a skill my daughter struggles with. The process of doing addition and subtraction is a series of sequences. If you’re a student with sequencing issues, mastering the addition process can be challenging. It was at this moment, my involvement with Todo Math would become far more personal than I ever imagined.

In some of the games, Todo K-2 Math Practice automates the sequencing of addition and subtraction so there’s less cognitive effort as my daughter works to solve her problems. She has the opportunity to learn the concept of addition and subtraction without having to simultaneously work on the sequence of solving the problems by herself. Todo Math games ‘Falling Blocks’ and ‘Cookies’ are especially fun for her because the representational images give her the visual support to solve addition and subtraction problems (see images below). She feels success by the intrinsic reward of solving challenging problems and because of this, she wants to play more. There aren’t any extrinsic rewards in this app. Todo K-2 Math Practice is an app that is all math, all the time AND fun!

Cookies

Falling Blocks

I love Todo Math because my daughter loves Todo Math. This app comes at the perfect time in her development as a young mathematician. As much as I would love to teach her one-to-one, she won’t let me. It’s a parent/child power struggle and the struggle gets in the way of her developing a love of math. With Todo K-2 Math Practice she’s independent and empowered to practice on problems she finds challenging or review concepts that she’s already mastered. Finally, I cherish the moments I get to watch her concentrate so hard and then grin when she gets the right answer.

There is an amazing team of part-time and full-time committed parents who designed Todo K-2 Math Practice. To the team I have the fabulous privilege of working with, I thank you so much for creating games that make it easier for my child with learning differences to master early elementary math.

Josephine (Jill of all biz trades) – Privacy policy writer and she asks a LOT of good questions

Big kid and little kid play testers!

Last but certainly not least!

Kat (Magic maker) – Game designer, level architect, math expert and preserver of exceptional game play. Kat added the magic to Todo K-2 Math Practice and it’s been a privilege working with her. We wish her joy and happiness as she focuses her entire attention on the family. Lucky, lucky family! We miss her already.